Sep 29, 2013
bagdbmba wrote:Hi Alex,
Could you please let me know the followings -
1. Are Ross Essay 1 and McCombs Essay 1 EXACTLY similar,EXCEPT the word-count difference?
2.To what extent these two essays are similar to CBS Essay 3?
Much appreciate your feedback...
Oct 1, 2013
PrepMBA wrote:bagdbmba wrote:Hi Alex,
Could you please let me know the followings -
1. Are Ross Essay 1 and McCombs Essay 1 EXACTLY similar,EXCEPT the word-count difference?
2.To what extent these two essays are similar to CBS Essay 3?
Much appreciate your feedback...
Well, though there seem to be some similarities I think the questions should likely be handled a bit differently. I view Ross 1 as an executive summary of all your key selling points--this may mean you are repeating a big theme from another essay and it might mean you are mixing in some new points that did not get essay coverage. But all the elements should be significant to make the 100 word cut, and there is also room for "personal" aspects. In other words, if you take formal cooking classes in NY and have a small food blog, then those can make it into your 100 word candidacy pitch.
In contrast, the Texas essay is longer and requires more depth per issue. Ironically, you may have insufficient room to cover all of the issues you touched on in Ross. Fewer well supported points is always better than many points with thin air cover (I think the Ross structure allows you to be more thin per item). And given it is a major essay, and the other essays have more to do with career/why McCombs, all the more reason why you may want to focus on a few major themes. So these two essays may cover the same themes and they may not.
Columbia 3 is pretty different in my view. What will the people in your Cluster be pleasantly surprised to learn about you? (Maximum 250 words) Given how serious the other Columbia essays are, I think this is an opportunity to show something outside of work, something personal, something that makes you seem like you will be a dynamic, broad classmate. I would suggest trying to focus on one thing versus many, but a couple of things can work as well. But this is not a full summary of all the elements of your profile--this is not an elevator pitch of your candidacy. For example, you may be a top rated analyst, but looking at your resume I will likely not be "surprised" to learn this.
I hope this helps.
Alex
Oct 3, 2013
bagdbmba wrote:PrepMBA wrote:bagdbmba wrote:Hi Alex,
Could you please let me know the followings -
1. Are Ross Essay 1 and McCombs Essay 1 EXACTLY similar,EXCEPT the word-count difference?
2.To what extent these two essays are similar to CBS Essay 3?
Much appreciate your feedback...
Well, though there seem to be some similarities I think the questions should likely be handled a bit differently. I view Ross 1 as an executive summary of all your key selling points--this may mean you are repeating a big theme from another essay and it might mean you are mixing in some new points that did not get essay coverage. But all the elements should be significant to make the 100 word cut, and there is also room for "personal" aspects. In other words, if you take formal cooking classes in NY and have a small food blog, then those can make it into your 100 word candidacy pitch.
In contrast, the Texas essay is longer and requires more depth per issue. Ironically, you may have insufficient room to cover all of the issues you touched on in Ross. Fewer well supported points is always better than many points with thin air cover (I think the Ross structure allows you to be more thin per item). And given it is a major essay, and the other essays have more to do with career/why McCombs, all the more reason why you may want to focus on a few major themes. So these two essays may cover the same themes and they may not.
Columbia 3 is pretty different in my view. What will the people in your Cluster be pleasantly surprised to learn about you? (Maximum 250 words) Given how serious the other Columbia essays are, I think this is an opportunity to show something outside of work, something personal, something that makes you seem like you will be a dynamic, broad classmate. I would suggest trying to focus on one thing versus many, but a couple of things can work as well. But this is not a full summary of all the elements of your profile--this is not an elevator pitch of your candidacy. For example, you may be a top rated analyst, but looking at your resume I will likely not be "surprised" to learn this.
I hope this helps.
Alex
Hi Alex,
Thank you so much for your detail reply.
Let's come on to your reply on CBS first - It's completely clear!
Now for Ross/McCombs- I'm bit confused and so let me cross-check whether my understanding of your feedback is proper :
Should one discuss 3-4 traits for Ross while for McCombs, elaborate on these 3-4 points(or a max. of 5-6) further a bit,considering latter's higher word-limit ? Please let me know whether this makes sense!
Is it better to mention ONLY personal aspects in both of these two essays instead of mixing personal and professional characteristics as professional part will be covered in other essays for both the school?
Look forward to hear from you.
Oct 3, 2013
Oct 28, 2013
Updated on: Feb 17, 2014
Updated on: Feb 17, 2014
Nov 24, 2013
Nov 29, 2013
Dec 6, 2013
Dec 9, 2013
MBAAug2014 wrote:Hi Alex,
Can you please help me in identifying the schools that I should target based on my profile and career goals? I plan to start my MBA in Fall 2014 and will be applying in the second round for most schools.
Profile
Gender - Male
Age - 26
Nationality - Indian
Educational Qualification
Bachelor's of Commerce (Banking & Insurance), University of Mumbai
Year of Graduation: 2008
Results: 78.50% on 100 (Have not converted to GPA because India does not have a standardized result format)
CFA Charter holder
CFA Institute, USA
Was awarded the charter in September 2013
Work Experience
Total Work Experience: 5 years 11 months
Full time: 4 years 6 months
Part time: 1 year 5 months
Overview
• Over 4 years of full-time experience in equities & interest rates trading and investment banking
• Focused on trading assets & derivatives with an inclination towards technical analysis
• Efficient in trade execution, tracking economic data and risk management
My first two and half years (part-time + full-time) were with a boutique investment banking firm focused on Private Equity and debt syndication and placement of funds. My job involved preparation of information memorandums & financial models for clients and presentation of these opportunities to investors. After that I moved to mid-sized broking firm to pursue security trading. I worked as a Trader in their capital markets division focusing on intra-day jobbing and arbitrage. My last job was with a multinational bank as an Assistant Trader on their Interest Rate Derivatives trading desk for two and half years.
Extra-curricular Activities
• Long distance runner. Ran Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon (21 kms) 2007-2013
• Elected class representative for a year during my undergraduate degree
• Participated in a number of debates and entrepreneurship related inter-college events
• Motorbike enthusiast. Been a part of motorbiking expeditions to the mountainous terrains of North India
• Trekking, travelling, reading, yoga & music
GMAT
Total Score: 700 (89%ile)
Quant: 49 (81%ile)
Verbal: 36 (80%ile)
Post MBA goals
Short term: Consulting (Financial Services division of a top tier firm)
Long term: Entrepreneurial
I have already applied to INSEAD (France / Singapore) and ISB (India) and believe that my applications are strong. Please suggest other schools in Asia and United States that I could apply to. Are schools like INSEAD, LBS, Harvard and Stanford within my reach?
Do let me know if you need any further information to evaluate my profile.
Thank you for your support.
Dec 29, 2013
Mar 25, 2014
Apr 11, 2014
Apr 11, 2014
Apr 14, 2014
harryIITD wrote:Hi,
First thing first, Thanks for this wonderful thread!
I need help in understanding my chances at Top 10 B-Schools (Sept 2015 entry). Below are details of my profile:
Academics
B.Tech 2005 (Electrical Eng) : 71 % (Gold Medalist)
M.tech 2008 (IIT Delhi, India) : 8.44 (GATE exam All India Rank 46 out of ~30,000 candidates)
GMAT : Planned, July 2014; based on GMAT PREP +ve about 720
Work Ex
• Years: 7 years (As on Sept 2014), Research and Development, Tata Motors Ltd., India
• Designation: Manager (Development)
• Profile: Working on product development area, mainly on the new generation of Hybrid and Electric Vehicle development
• Achievement: Few publications in the conference/magazine which are very well acknowledged in the respective field (E.g. SAE, IEEE, ATZ etc). I am a Talent Pool employee in the present company (~15 out of 40,000 employee every year get into talent pool) and got to attend Executive Management Training program at one of the premium Indian B School (That’s where started realizing importance of doing MBA to complete my skill + knowledge set for future endeavor and in the career progress)
Extra Curricular
• I worked as a full time "SBI Youth For India” fellow (2011-2012) in the rural development space. It’s a 1 year fellowship, with a focus on rural development. I took a sabbatical from my present employer and worked on livelihood project. 28 fellows were selected from all across India. I could publish one paper on the work done under this fellowship in STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT FORUM of IIM Kozhikode (Under Top 8 B school from India); titled “Rural Local Retail: An innovative, self sustainable Social Business Model in Vegetable Business”
• Completed Paragliding pre-pilot level
• Completed French Level 1 certification
Certification
No international level certification; however Level 2 patent specialist Under TATA GROUP IP Management Program.
Target Program
Harvard……………………………… Stanford, MIT, LBS, INSEAD; As my school research is not extensive I would also like to know which are other schools where my profile and career goal would match
When you plan to apply
R1 Oct 2014
Your post-MBA goal
My long term goal is to start up a company in the area of Product Development ( To give a perspective, product development company like 3M)
With my work experience and Technical Education background I have developed the knowledge set required for such a venture however I am looking at following aspect to be covered by attending B-School:
1. Present and past student Network and prospective business partner
2. School name and the creditability with that to start new venture
3. Skill set to manage the business and required exposure
4. Peer Learning and divers thinking
If this doesn’t happen in immediate future (Post MBA) then I would like to join a Management Consultancy firm or a corporate position in Strategy and Planning vertical; which in long term would help me in setting up my firm.
I would like to understand how fair are my chances in Ivy-8 or above mentioned schools?
And which other schools you find would suitable for my profile?
I guess that’s all !!!
I sincerely thanks for all your time and efforts and waiting for your reply. (Moderator + Consultant)
HarryIITD
Apr 14, 2014
chemE42 wrote:Hi Alex,
I am wondering if you can give me some thoughts on my profile. I will apply in Fall 2014, and plan on matriculating in Fall 2015. Below are my details:
Male, African-American, 26 years old
Education:
GPA: 3.17 at Howard University
Major: Chemical Engineering
GMAT: 730 (Q46 and V44)
Work Experience:
I graduated in 05/2010 and started working in 07/2010 for a top multinational oil company (think Shell, ExxonMobil, Chevron). After going through training I became a downstream business analyst in 02/2011. While in this role I have continued to gain responsibility while leading improvements in reporting and analysis for my group. At the moment, I am up for a promotion, and would expect to have this position secured prior to round 1 applications.
Hence, I will have about 4 years of working experience by the time I apply and 5 years when I start the program in Fall 2015
Extra-curricular Activities:
Few Clubs and Intramural Sports in undergrad. Since graduating, I have been an active member of my company's recruiting team for my alma mater. Additionally, I have served as Special Events coordinator for a company affinity group, and am an active member of my company's Toastmasters Club. Outside of work, I am heavily involved with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington, where I currently serve as a board member, focusing primarily on club fundraising as well as programming and events for the children. Lastly, I am now an MLT Fellow after gaining admission to Management Leadership for Tomorrow's most recent MBA Prep class.
Career Goals:
After the MBA, I would like to go into Management Consulting with a speciality in Energy, and gain exposure to the innovation within this sector.(Renewables, Fracking, etc)
I do understand that my GPA is on the low side, and I plan on taking a quantitative course or two to help mitigate that. Additionally, I hope that my GMAT score/work experience/extracurriculars can help offset my GPA. As of now I plan on applying to HBS, Wharton, Booth, Kellogg, Tuck(consortium), Ross(consortium), and Fuqua. In your opinion, does my GPA put these programs out of reach? Also are there any other programs that you recommend that I consider?
I really appreciate the feedback, and look forward to hearing from you soon!
Apr 14, 2014
JSW2014 wrote:Background
• Rich experience in Design, Innovation and Competitive Product Development.
• Due to keen interest in Design in general and Transportation Design in particular, pursued Engineering education to earn Masters in Design (Product Design &Engg.) from I.I.Sc. Bangalore (Indian Institute of Science) and also pursued professional career in Vehicle Design with two Top Automotive Companies in the World and India respectively.
• Experience evolved working through corporate design gates/processes & interaction with various stakeholders and vendors; close participation through cross functional teams in business processes like product definition, product planning, market positioning & innovation activities.
• In-depth understanding of design tools & methodologies; System/Process Design & IPR landscaping.
• Undertook initiatives in multidisciplinary/multicultural environments & in navigating uncertainty/handling ambiguity, championing customer focus & multidimensional problem solving with full confidence.
• Worked as a design lead and design jury member on various professional assignments.
• Wish to integrate formal knowledge in design with a penchant for enterprise creation to start an organization devoted to creating next generation mobility solutions. An MBA education in this regard would go a long way in helping me realize this objective.
Academics
• BE (Mechanical Engineering) 2003: 70%
• Masters in Design (IISc, Bangalore) 2008: 6.9/8.0 (10 students accepted into the prestigious design program every year from a pool of 10,000+ applicants)
• GMAT: 730
Professional Experience
• Years: 6 years (as on August 2014) in the Design Studio and R&D Centre and prior 2 years (2004-2006) at General Motors.
• Designation: Manager (ADVANCED DESIGN)
• Profile: Responsible for Exterior Design of Next-Generation Passenger Vehicles. Several projects are in production and have been displayed in International Auto Shows.
Achievements
• Responsible for exterior design of next gen vehicles (3); responsible for design of concept vehicles (2) showcasing the future vision of the company.
• Lead the future vision activities of the department through the design function.
• Exposed to vision/pre-concept research/positioning/branding/conceptual development/production design/systems development/integration and marketing aspects of full scale product (vehicle) development.
• I have completed one full ‘level 6’ (new platform) production vehicle program with exterior and interior design.
• Lead team in simulated enterprise creation & management workshops with spectacular results.
• I also mentor junior members of the team.
Extra-Curricular
• One of the top 50 innovators selected in India Innovation Growth Program in 2014 (Partners: Department of Science and Technology Govt of India; Lockheed Martin Corporation USA; Stanford Business School; University of Austin Texas)
• I am also an active member of the design team working on CSR activities of my organization in rural school development and modernization.
• Design Jury for one of the most prestigious design competitions in India for the year 2013.
Certification:
Several relevant to Product Development and Business Development through Design, several in core competencies and allied fields.
For example:
Interpretation by Design (BMW Germany); Customer Centric Workshop by RoadsAhead Consulting India; Trend & Design by Style-Vision Asia (France); Design Thinking Action Lab (Stanfordx); Innovation & Commercialization (MITx); several core design domain courses from MITx including the X-Series Certification in Air Vehicle Design; Courses from Harvardx; etc..
Target Program:
Harvard or any one of the top 5 B Schools in the world
Planned Entry
R1 October 2014
Post MBA Goal
Vision is to start a mobility solutions company.
I wish to understand my chances to be accepted in an HBS type of program (Ivy League) and look forward to your most realistic assessment of my profile.
Sincere thanks in advance for your time and effort! And many thanks for offering such a platform for aspirants like us!
Warm Regards
JSW
Apr 14, 2014
PrepMBA wrote:harryIITD wrote:Hi,
First thing first, Thanks for this wonderful thread!
I need help in understanding my chances at Top 10 B-Schools (Sept 2015 entry). Below are details of my profile:
Academics
B.Tech 2005 (Electrical Eng) : 71 % (Gold Medalist)
M.tech 2008 (IIT Delhi, India) : 8.44 (GATE exam All India Rank 46 out of ~30,000 candidates)
GMAT : Planned, July 2014; based on GMAT PREP +ve about 720
Work Ex
• Years: 7 years (As on Sept 2014), Research and Development, Tata Motors Ltd., India
• Designation: Manager (Development)
• Profile: Working on product development area, mainly on the new generation of Hybrid and Electric Vehicle development
• Achievement: Few publications in the conference/magazine which are very well acknowledged in the respective field (E.g. SAE, IEEE, ATZ etc). I am a Talent Pool employee in the present company (~15 out of 40,000 employee every year get into talent pool) and got to attend Executive Management Training program at one of the premium Indian B School (That’s where started realizing importance of doing MBA to complete my skill + knowledge set for future endeavor and in the career progress)
Extra Curricular
• I worked as a full time "SBI Youth For India” fellow (2011-2012) in the rural development space. It’s a 1 year fellowship, with a focus on rural development. I took a sabbatical from my present employer and worked on livelihood project. 28 fellows were selected from all across India. I could publish one paper on the work done under this fellowship in STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT FORUM of IIM Kozhikode (Under Top 8 B school from India); titled “Rural Local Retail: An innovative, self sustainable Social Business Model in Vegetable Business”
• Completed Paragliding pre-pilot level
• Completed French Level 1 certification
Certification
No international level certification; however Level 2 patent specialist Under TATA GROUP IP Management Program.
Target Program
Harvard……………………………… Stanford, MIT, LBS, INSEAD; As my school research is not extensive I would also like to know which are other schools where my profile and career goal would match
When you plan to apply
R1 Oct 2014
Your post-MBA goal
My long term goal is to start up a company in the area of Product Development ( To give a perspective, product development company like 3M)
With my work experience and Technical Education background I have developed the knowledge set required for such a venture however I am looking at following aspect to be covered by attending B-School:
1. Present and past student Network and prospective business partner
2. School name and the creditability with that to start new venture
3. Skill set to manage the business and required exposure
4. Peer Learning and divers thinking
If this doesn’t happen in immediate future (Post MBA) then I would like to join a Management Consultancy firm or a corporate position in Strategy and Planning vertical; which in long term would help me in setting up my firm.
I would like to understand how fair are my chances in Ivy-8 or above mentioned schools?
And which other schools you find would suitable for my profile?
I guess that’s all !!!
I sincerely thanks for all your time and efforts and waiting for your reply. (Moderator + Consultant)
HarryIITD
Harry,
Thanks for your patience. I have been on a mini holiday before things start to heat up for MBA applications.
Your academic record is a great foundation and Tata is one of the most renowned firms. If you are shooting as high as HBS, Stanford and MIT, you may need an even higher gmat vs your target. I say that given the fierce competition in your demographic segment. And I would suggest that you think a lot about career objectives in the applications. Saying you want to start a product development company and then talking about m consulting or strategy may be a disconnect, or at least not a deepening of your story with specific direction. For example, IDEO is a consulting firm as well, but they specialize in new product development, prototyping and design. Using them as a post MBA targeted firm may enrich your story vs leaving your plans more generic. Remember, you are trying to stand out!
MIT is certainly a great choice for your profile. But I would also encourage you to look at some safer schools as well. A school like Tepper may give you some scholarship money and they have a great tradition of product development. Keep your mind open in your search!
Best of Luck,
Alex
Apr 15, 2014
harryIITD wrote:Hey Alex,
Thanks a lot, that makes much more sense now; specifically IDEO and the link with the career goal.
Keep your mind open in your search, Yup got the message
Now the work ahead is nailing GMAT; will update you once I get the score in my hand.
Thanks again for your time and help, really appreciate that.
HarryIITDPrepMBA wrote:harryIITD wrote:Hi,
First thing first, Thanks for this wonderful thread!
I need help in understanding my chances at Top 10 B-Schools (Sept 2015 entry). Below are details of my profile:
Academics
B.Tech 2005 (Electrical Eng) : 71 % (Gold Medalist)
M.tech 2008 (IIT Delhi, India) : 8.44 (GATE exam All India Rank 46 out of ~30,000 candidates)
GMAT : Planned, July 2014; based on GMAT PREP +ve about 720
Work Ex
• Years: 7 years (As on Sept 2014), Research and Development, Tata Motors Ltd., India
• Designation: Manager (Development)
• Profile: Working on product development area, mainly on the new generation of Hybrid and Electric Vehicle development
• Achievement: Few publications in the conference/magazine which are very well acknowledged in the respective field (E.g. SAE, IEEE, ATZ etc). I am a Talent Pool employee in the present company (~15 out of 40,000 employee every year get into talent pool) and got to attend Executive Management Training program at one of the premium Indian B School (That’s where started realizing importance of doing MBA to complete my skill + knowledge set for future endeavor and in the career progress)
Extra Curricular
• I worked as a full time "SBI Youth For India” fellow (2011-2012) in the rural development space. It’s a 1 year fellowship, with a focus on rural development. I took a sabbatical from my present employer and worked on livelihood project. 28 fellows were selected from all across India. I could publish one paper on the work done under this fellowship in STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT FORUM of IIM Kozhikode (Under Top 8 B school from India); titled “Rural Local Retail: An innovative, self sustainable Social Business Model in Vegetable Business”
• Completed Paragliding pre-pilot level
• Completed French Level 1 certification
Certification
No international level certification; however Level 2 patent specialist Under TATA GROUP IP Management Program.
Target Program
Harvard……………………………… Stanford, MIT, LBS, INSEAD; As my school research is not extensive I would also like to know which are other schools where my profile and career goal would match
When you plan to apply
R1 Oct 2014
Your post-MBA goal
My long term goal is to start up a company in the area of Product Development ( To give a perspective, product development company like 3M)
With my work experience and Technical Education background I have developed the knowledge set required for such a venture however I am looking at following aspect to be covered by attending B-School:
1. Present and past student Network and prospective business partner
2. School name and the creditability with that to start new venture
3. Skill set to manage the business and required exposure
4. Peer Learning and divers thinking
If this doesn’t happen in immediate future (Post MBA) then I would like to join a Management Consultancy firm or a corporate position in Strategy and Planning vertical; which in long term would help me in setting up my firm.
I would like to understand how fair are my chances in Ivy-8 or above mentioned schools?
And which other schools you find would suitable for my profile?
I guess that’s all !!!
I sincerely thanks for all your time and efforts and waiting for your reply. (Moderator + Consultant)
HarryIITD
Harry,
Thanks for your patience. I have been on a mini holiday before things start to heat up for MBA applications.
Your academic record is a great foundation and Tata is one of the most renowned firms. If you are shooting as high as HBS, Stanford and MIT, you may need an even higher gmat vs your target. I say that given the fierce competition in your demographic segment. And I would suggest that you think a lot about career objectives in the applications. Saying you want to start a product development company and then talking about m consulting or strategy may be a disconnect, or at least not a deepening of your story with specific direction. For example, IDEO is a consulting firm as well, but they specialize in new product development, prototyping and design. Using them as a post MBA targeted firm may enrich your story vs leaving your plans more generic. Remember, you are trying to stand out!
MIT is certainly a great choice for your profile. But I would also encourage you to look at some safer schools as well. A school like Tepper may give you some scholarship money and they have a great tradition of product development. Keep your mind open in your search!
Best of Luck,
Alex
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